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10-07-2017, 10:31 AM | #1 |
Cobra Soldier
Join Date: Oct 2017
Location: Pittsburgh
Posts: 6
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Hey all! I've recently been bitten by the nostalgia bug and have become interested in collecting some of the goodies I never had as a kid. I am at a bit of a loss as to where I should start.
On one hand I grew up with the 3.75" figures and there seems to be a much wider variety of both figures and vehicles from this range. The cons for me with the classic scale are mainly concerned with durability. Even with fairly careful play I remember O rings wearing out and thumbs cracking off from frequent weapon swaps. The new 4" figures look amazing but again I am concerned about durability. I have four nephews who come to visit fairly often and I would like them to be able to play with the figures without fear of random pieces falling off. The other concern about this range is that there are realatively few vehicles out there designed for the scale. I also don't see the scale being supported with many vehicles in the future. I'd appreciate any feedback on the matter. |
10-07-2017, 12:14 PM | #2 |
Hisstank.Com General
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Cobra Island & Massachusetts
Posts: 6,378
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Honestly in my opinion. Nothing beats an original ARAH figure in the playability department. These figures for the most part are also very durable. Aside from the occasional broken thumb or crotch. ME are also pretty durable for the most part but some do have issues holding posess and or weapons. It really just comes down to what you and your nephews like. As a LOT of the original stuff IE vehicles can be used with modern figures.
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10-07-2017, 12:24 PM | #3 |
Bald Master
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Wolverine Lake, MI
Posts: 15,130
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Vintage oringers all the way, if PLAY/durability is what your looking for. Easy to replace orings!
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10-07-2017, 02:03 PM | #4 |
A Makeupless Clown
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: Ohio
Posts: 5,271
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I came back to Joe toys when I had my first child. I started off planning to pull my vintage toys out of storage and hand them down. I ended up replacing them with the modern-era figures, but keeping the vintage vehicles. The modern figures, for the most part, fit OK for play in the vintage vehicles. Durability can be a concern, primarily with hands being broken off at the wrist or forearms breaking off at the bicep. Let them learn that lesson on a handful of cheap figures first before you bring out the better ones six months to a year later.
So, in my opinion, go for modern figures with vintage and modern vehicles. You can also get World Peacekeepers Power Team Elite, Elite Force, and various Chap Mei branded vehicles in suitable scale if vintage vehicles aren't right for you or the nephews or if you just want more variety.
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10-07-2017, 06:24 PM | #5 |
Warrant officer
Join Date: May 2016
Location: NC
Posts: 592
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The vintage figures are pretty durable. I played with mine as a kid pretty hard and have very few with broken thumbs or crotches. O rings are cheap and available at smalljoes.com or Lowes. With my 7 and 10 yo kids I let them play with any figure but I strip them down to one weapon so I can keep track of the crazy amount of accessories that come with the modern joes.
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10-07-2017, 06:50 PM | #6 |
Cobra Viper
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Somwhere
Posts: 254
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Vintage figures are fragile and only getting more so as time goes by. Thumbs and crotches have always snapped due to the hard plastic used but I've had a lot of busted heels and even a few elbows fall off the rivets more recently.
The newer figures are far more detailed and they have more useful articulation (When it works properly, nothing like a figure that can't bend it's arms 90 degrees. . .) but also have much, MUCH smaller parts and even worse removeable hands. If you are going to lets kids play with them hope you don't mind one or no handed Joes. I have many for that reason lol Honestly I'd cherry pick some non-valuable modern figures just for your nephews, remove tiny parts and watch them that they don't remove hands or heads without replacing them. For me it was much easier to seperate "my Joes" from "play Joes" so that everyone could be happy. |
10-07-2017, 08:44 PM | #7 |
Cobra Interrogator
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Undisclosed Military Installation in Kentucky
Posts: 1,466
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You are correct that 4 inch figures seem to have more fiddly bits that can pull off or get lost. This is largely deliberate. Modern toy design emphasizes parts that can "pop" on and off rather than breaking under stress. Overall, its an improvement, but this does create a problem for very small children who like to eat things. ME Joes are generally intended for older children and adult collectors anyway.
On the plus side, the rubbery plastic is less likely to crack. For example, if you want to place a weapon in a Joe's hand you can pry their thumb and fingers open without breaking the plastic. Vehicles aren't really much of an issue. Most vintage vehicles will accomodate an ME Joe. There are some smaller ones that will not (like the Vamp) but the majority have no problem. |
10-07-2017, 10:40 PM | #8 |
Cobra Viper
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: Louisville, Kentucky
Posts: 306
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I too got sucked back in a few years ago. I started by fixing up my vintage guys from childhood, went modern for wave 4 of Retaliation, went all in on Kre-o and now I've gone full vintage. Here are my thoughts for you:
Modern are softer more forgiving plastic, more detailed, can be posed in almost any position, each figure comes with a virtual armory, and were made with collectors in mind. However, they cannot hold everything they come with by and large, are no longer made on a large scale, the Collectors Club stuff is expensive, and unless you like crawling through the house looking for the various tiny kibble each Joe comes with, they are not toys in the traditional sense. The vintage guys in decent shape are as tough as they always were and easy to repair if they do break. They can hold all the gear and it is easier to find in your house. Vintage has all the vehicles you remember if that is what you are after, but some cannot take the pounding anymore. Stuff like the Moray or the WHALE are almost fragile and I am a little sad when I look at mine. My/my son's Havoc on the other hand is still going strong at a spry 31 years and I smile a little every time he rolls it out. As far as your nephews go, my kids like the vintage over modern for several reasons mostly because they can actually stand up on their own according to my son. My sons vintage Joes have all been played with extensively by him along with the HAVOC and a few other vehicles with only one broken crotch in four years. If you like Lego and you like Joe try the Kreo figures. Most of the building sets were not ao great but the figures were great. Overall, I prefer vintage. They hold a certain charm the modern figs don't. I do pick up the occasional modern fig if it is particularly nifty, but not many. I buy loose vintage Joes for my son all the time for cheap. When I come across a loose gear bin somewhere I pick out some odds and ends for him to arm them with. He has his and I have mine. Occasionally some of mine come out of the case. For your nephews, this may be the way to go, it has given my son and I something to bond over. Whatever you choose, have fun. |
10-07-2017, 11:12 PM | #9 |
Cobra Viper
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: Las Vegas
Posts: 211
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Personally I think new-sculpt are the best to let kids play with. They're sturdy, most don't have too many removable parts, and lastly, they're the cheapest to replace if your nephews are a little rough on them.
With my nephews, they can play with some of the vintage stuff and some of the ME stuff indoors, but outdoor play, new-sculpt all the way. |
10-08-2017, 03:25 AM | #10 |
Red Two
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: 村八分
Posts: 1,025
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Quote:
Personally, I still have a shoebox full of these guys, which got me back into GI Joe after a ten year hiatus and paved the way for the ME. |
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